Arabesque

Working out real hunger from these hunger is a major learning for us all. Takes time though to work out which is which. Unfortunately you won’t get proper or true signals about hunger, fullness, etc. until you are fully healed (about 6-8 weeks) cause all of the nerves that were cut during surgery. As someone arise who really ‘ate’ two meals a day in the beginning, I too had that dizziness or wooziness, ensure up you have something before you do anything active. It will help ward if possible hypoglycemia episodes too. You may find too that your blood pressure drops which will make you dizzy, woozie or light headed, doughy in the head, find your vision narrows (lasts a couple of seconds) or at worst you may faint. Try adding an electrolyte powder to your water or take an electrolyte drink with you when you’re more active. It will give you a boost. I found it very helpful. For most people none of these things last once you are eating more regularly, eating a wider range of nutrients and are eating a little more. I’ve always had a tendency to low BP and had random episodes of hypoglycemia. Since surgery they’re more frequent. (The low BP is an every day thing now.)

Mozzarella is good too. I add a lot of vegetables to my omelettes: celery, calcium, mushrooms, baby Roma tomatoes, capsicum, spinach, parsley, chives, basil, etc. whatever I have of those sort of ingredients in my fridge. Of course since my tummy said nope I don’t like eggs a while back I haven’t made omelettes for a while. Loved it for lunch. Oh, I’ve seen those graters but wondered if they were actually any good. Will have to look into getting one now on your recommendation.

Never experienced this or heard of it either. How weird. Maybe throw the spinach in the omelette for the last minute or so or before you fold/roll it so it cooks a little?? I knew it was hard on your kidneys but only because a friend with an autoimmune disease if her kidneys isn’t allowed it.

You look fabulous. Happy birthday too.

I as really surprised when I saw her on tv when she her career revival began last year & didn’t recognise her as Shania. I wouldn’t have picked your pxt as her either @ms.sss unless you said. I agree, the work she’s had has changed her facial features a lot though I think it ‘s softened a bit lately. Maybe less filler or had some removed. Glad she obviously still rocks a concert & a good night was had.

My sleeve & gall were by the same surgeon and very neat. These with the scrapes are from my hysterectomy. Different surgeon. All were ‘manual’ surgeries but I would think robotic surgeries may be a little more rough as they can’t feel skin, consider texture, depth of flesh, etc. Mind you, you watch those surgery ducu-series and see how they toss you about, push & poke about your organs, etc. Yikes! No wonder we can have bruises and scrapes. I had a pulled thigh muscle after this surgery.

See, the Enterprise. 🤣🤣 The lines were actually bruising & scrapes. I guess from the instruments. Never had that before.

Five years out and the poltergeist in my tummy is alive and well. It was grunting this morning after breakfast. And I mean grunting. I asked the doctor who does my follow ups about it a couple of years back because all the grumbling, rumbling and whining was so loud. She said it was my digestive system doing what it’s supposed to do: digest food. It differs person to person & I believe surgeon to surgeon (some are just more rough), After my sleeve I had very little bruising. Though others have posted some pretty significant bruises here after theirs. Can’t recall after my gall but I’ve had more with my recent surgery. (My poor belly button is so tiny now with the 3 laparoscopic abdominal surgeries I’ve had that have used it.) Each time the wounds were different. This time I even have a little lump from a pleat in my skin from the internal sutures. And one I swear looks like the Enterprise from Star Trek. And one can be more tender one day and the next another one is. Took into the third week for the bruising to be fully gone this time. The incision they removed your stomach through is usually a little longer than the others & is the one on the right of your belly button.

You’ll likely find in another couple of days, your pain will have reduced considerably & you may not need any more (but we’re all different about things & we can tolerate different pain levels). Yes to walking around. But marching in the spot, raising your arms up and down and doing slow deep breaths (breath in & hold for a count of 5-8 then exhale) are good to help with getting rid of the gas. (This is in your abdominal cavity not your digestive system. It rises up behind your lungs and puts pressure on nerves causing shoulder pain. It’s absorbed into the lungs and you breathe it out.) I used y dilute my shakes (to dilute the horrid taste & graininess) and sip on that most for a couple of hours. Then I had a diluted soup late afternoon, again sipping for a couple of hours. That was all I could get myself to even think about consuming. My surgeon also wasn’t too concerned about meeting protein goals at first. As long as I was making an effort to get some in and was slowly increasing over the first month or so. Oh, yes, don’t weigh yourself for a few days at least. You’re likely still holding on to some of the fluids the pump you full off. Honestly I looked four months pregnant after recent my hysterectomy and I remember weighing 2kgs (4.4lbs) more after my gall surgery.

Oh I have plenty of still tagged items too just waiting on special events/occasions to wear them. Did you mourn when you binned your lounge pants? I would have especially if they were super comfy. Leopard print would have been fun & there’s nothing wrong with a little Catwoman self-empowerment moment. 🐆 Your road trip to national parks does sound fun especially the Grand Canyon. Would like to visit that one day.

I thought the no caffeine had a lot to do with how caffeine stimulates stomach acid. (It why you should avoid caffeine if you have reflux.) Post surgery, our bodies are still producing the same amount of acid we used to need in our larger tummies (& why many are prescribed PPIs to counteract this). So we’re told to avoid caffeine so we won’t stimulate our stomach acid more at least until our body adjusts to our new digestive needs.

No capsule wardrobe in my house. I’m guilty of having far more clothes than I need. A example of the proof of me having too many clothes is this dress which I found in my wardrobe recently and couldn’t remember buying it. Obviously worn (no tags) but where and when I had no idea. Wore it last weekend because of my guilt & than I remembered the last time I wore it - to my friend’s daughter’s hens party three years ago. Oops. Where did you go for your holiday?

Can’t help with the decaf matcha (find matcha can be grainy and dusty & the caffeine knocks me) but what about trying green tea? It’s the same just milder in flavour and because it’s not as concentrated it has less caffeine (about 1/4 of coffee & I think about 1/3 of matcha). I’ve been drinking green tea for 20+ years. My surgeon allowed herbal or green tea after surgery thank goodness. I think I started drinking it again a few days after. I found the warmth more soothing & easier to sip than water. If it got too cool, I just reheated it in a microwave but some people swear by those little hot plates to keep your mug warm. Check with your team if you can try green tea as an alternative to your matcha.

Nausea, vomiting, foamies, difficulty eating aren’t that uncommon after surgery. Your tummy is pretty sensitive and while it usually take about 6 or so weeks to heal some take longer. But it is always best to rule out anything else. Please tell me your doctor gave you something for the nausea & is sending you for tests. If not, I’d ask (demand) an endoscope to rule out a stricture and an ultrasound to check your gall and rule out anything else (appendix, pancreas). I only had one symptom with my gall (I had a stone) and that was pain. Very strong, writhing on the bed pain upper right abdomen & around to my back. Nothing before that. I know my sister in law used to get crampy pain and nausea when she ate fatty foods or a large heavy meal with her gall. You’re certainly not eating fatty or rich heavy meals at the moment. If it is a stricture, they’re easy to fix. If you do have gall stones it would mean another surgery. Gall issues after surgery aren’t uncommon. Rapid weight loss can cause stones to grow but usually not that soon out. (Mine was 2 years and one month later.) Or you may have had them already but they’re making themselves known now.

I used to be like this back in my fertile years (😉). I craved carbs and could eat a loaf of bread in one day. Sandwich after sandwich. I had to consciously stop myself. About year 2 after my surgery, & well into menopause, I’d get these random days where that carb craving for bread would hit me. I couldn’t do anything about it because bread sits so heavily in my tummy so I avoid it & I never buy it. Thank goodness there wasn’t any in my house. I doubt foamies or my restriction would have stopped me. LOL! You joining the hysterectomy club @Starwarsandcupcakes? I’m three weeks out since mine. Yesterday I was feeling pretty good. Even went to the theatre to see a contemporary dance production but today I’m wiped out. Even chose an afternoon session so I could have a little nap before I went. Also had a fun experience with alcohol hitting hard. Drank almost a 1/2 glass of Prosecco and as I took it into the theatre it hit me. Woozily climbed the steep stairs to my seat. Sat with a thump. The stage was moving (it wasn’t) then the electronic music began and lighting effects. OMG! It was not pleasant. Felt like I’d quickly downed a bottle & not sipped a bare 1/2 glass. Damn cheap theatre alcohol!

Not that uncommon and comparatively not more strict. There are variations between surgeons and surgeries with many of these things. Sometimes it’s also related to you, your health, how much weight you have to lose, your relationship with food, etc, Not being allowed carbonated drinks is common. The differences arise in length of time of this avoidance and then whether you can tolerate it. Also you may be allowed sparkling water that you let go flat a bit but not sodas. Same with alcohol avoidance but there are three main reasons often behind this. One is concern for addiction transfer which can occur after weight loss surgery. Secondly, alcohol is calorie dense and offers no nutrients which are vital while we are losing and eating small portions and lastly it will slow your metabolism & dehydrate you. Again some surgeons just put a time frame on it but it does depend on your surgery too. Caffeine is another thing that is allowed by some surgeons and not by others and again there can be differences in for how long you should avoid it. Deconstructing meals is not a forever thing. Certainly while losing, focussing on eating the protein component of your meal first is very important. If you are able after you’ve eaten the protein in your meal. you then can eat your vegetables then any carbs you are allowed. (There were many times I could only eat my protein at a meal and nothing else.) This is because of the small portions we can eat initially & the necessity of getting that protein in to meet your protein goals. It does make tracking your food much easier too. When you near your goal, and are eating larger portions, it’s not as important to eat your protein first but you must continue to hit your protein goals forever so it will be something of which you are aware when you’re eating. In saying that I often ate soups, stews & casserole type dishes, omelettes, etc. which combined protein & vegetables while losing but not every meal and not every day. Actually not allowing protein shakes is also not uncommon. For example, in the UK, many aren’t allowed protein shakes in the pre surgery diet (they drink milk instead). Protein shakes aren’t the sole source of protein & nutrients in that first stage after surgery. Bone broths, consommés and cream soups are also options. Thank goodness too because after surgery those protein shakes can be disgusting. I found them unpleasantly grainy and crazy sweet & struggled to drink one a day. Best advice is to follow your plan while you are losing.However, if you find it difficult to tolerate your food options or to reach your goals ask for alternatives that will allow you to still meet protein goals & other nutrient requirements within any calorie guidelines you are given. How and what you eat once your weight has stabilised is up to you, what you’ve learnt about your eating and relationship with food and if it allows you to maintain a lower and healthier weight & lifestyle.

How are your iron levels? Are they low? If they’re low, then you may need a supplement but if they’re okay, you don’t need anything. My iron levels were great & still are so I never took any iron after my surgery. Many people, women especially of all ages, experience anemia and it seems there are many more cases now days than years ago. For some its lifestyle and dietary choices, for others there can be medical reasons behind it. If you are anaemic, ensure your doctor rules out any medical cause first. If there isn’t any medical reason, check your dietary intake. Ensure you’re eating a lot of iron rich red meats, green leafy vegetables, etc. Avoid caffeine when consuming food especially iron rich foods. Caffeine reduces your body’s ability to absorb iron by 60+%. Also your body doesn’t absorb iron from fortified foods (like breads, cereals, oat milks & other milk alternatives., etc.) as well either. Iron supplements can cause constipation. Don’t take your iron supplements with calcium or iron with zinc. Your body can’t absorb these in combination so take say the calcium and zinc in the morning and your iron at night. Remember too, excess iron isn’t good for you so avoid taking iron supplements if you don’t need them. Haemochromatosis can damage your liver, heart, pancreas & joints. Symptoms can include lethargy, weight loss, mood swings, depression, brain fog, irregular or no periods & joint pain. Interestingly, many of these symptoms are the same as with anaemia.

As @ynotiniowa, said the time it takes for your head to catch up with the reality of your actual size contributes a lot to the dysmorphia for us: we can only see how we used to look because our size dominated & limited so much in our lives. It also affects friends and family who struggle to see the real you with your weight loss. For some family and friends it’s behind those ‘you’ve lost too much’ & ‘it’s time you stop losing’ comments they make. Personally, I found those skinny mini comments most upsetting (that specific phrase was most upsetting too) especially when I knew I still had weight to lose and I was no where near my goal. I knew, in most cases, it was people acknowledging my weight loss and congratulating me. I knew I should use it as motivation but I saw it more as them really saying you were huge before. It took a while after my weight stabilised for me to be comfortable and actually take pleasure in the you’re slim or small comments. Honestly, I still enjoy them today. I tell myself it’s because I worked hard to lose the weight and continue to work hard to maintain it & I’ve earnt the recognition. The reality is I’ve become a lot more vain than I was before and enjoy the attention. Lol!

I’m like that with knickers sometimes. Who owns these teeny tiny knickers. Oh, I’m the only one who lives here so they have to be mine. Skinny jeans could really blow my mind - surely they’d only fit my then 12 year old niece. Nope fit me fine.

This is what I did using two different recipes as a guide. 120g/4.5oz grated zucchini - squeeze well 100g/4ozs other vegetables (I used defrosted frozen corn & peas, but you could use coarse grated cauliflower or broccoli, celery, grated carrot, etc. Could use another zucchini.) 1/4 cup Parmesan (could use feta instead) 1 large egg bare 1/2 cup plain flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I used bicarbonate) 1 clove of garlic 1/4 teaspoon cumin (could use more if you like it and use cauliflower) salt & pepper If mix is a little dry & stiff add a little milk though it shouldn’t be very wet at all unlike traditional fritters. I shallow fried in about 2 tablespoons of oil. Might try air fryer next time though they weren’t oily or greasy at all. This is probably the recipe I followed most. Recipe Tin has some good recipes. I like how she usually has the facility to select how many portions you want and the recipe will update accordingly. https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-zucchini-fritters/

At almost 4 months I was eating a wide range of meats and seafood , dairy, vegetables and some fruits. . Yes I did have some favourites because I like a routine and it’s easy to stick to that and not think about food. Plus I wasn’t hungry or really interested in food except as a source of nutrition. My meals were pretty simple and straightforward consequently. Breakfast was scrambled eggs or rolled oats. Lunch tended to be fish or chicken tenders usually with salad. Sometimes an omelette with cheese & vegetables, a pork sausage, or a meat ball (made and froze a lot of these). Sometimes I just ate the protein component. Mid afternoon I’d have a high protein yoghurt or some fruit (watermelon or apple) or string cheese. Dinner would be meat (any) and vegetables in some form. I cooked everything myself from scratch so I could control the ingredients and cooking methods. (Except the sausages from the butcher of course.) I rarely use recipes & if I do I usually don’t follow them exactiy. I’m a I’ll use that instead or that looks enough type cook. I still don’t eat bread (or rice or pasta - sits too heavily). The only ‘carb’ I had then was rolled oats about 4 times a week. Added multi grain crackers when I was trying to maintain so from about 6 months (though I think it was more like 8 months). In the first 4 months I went to big 60th & 40th birthday celebrations, went out to dinner and lunch at casual restaurants /cafes and at people’s homes. Wasn’t a lot but when I did I just made the best choices I could. Like I remember ordering a wrap less wrap for lunch so just the filling, & eating the insides of steamed wontons at an off the cuff Chinese takeaway dinner. Did the same with gyoza too - just ate the filling. At month 5 my niece turned 21 and we went to a fine dining restaurant (where portions are more appropriately sized) & I ordered a fish main course. Is it your restriction that limits you or do certain foods upset you (is your tummy still fussy)? My restriction only made itself known if I ate too quickly or too much. If the food was too dry or coarse than it could become the foamies. Still is the same now. I used to take 30 minutes up to an hour to eat. Now it can be 30 - 45 minutes. Don’t eat more than my appropriately sized portion even if it takes me the hour. If I eat more quickly, I can’t eat much and don’t get enough in regards to calories and nutrition and risk discomfort like the foamies.

You’re in the OMG I really did it stage & where buyer’s remorse can begin. Give yourself some grace. First you’ve had a pretty major surgery which puts a lot of stress on your mind and body. It will take a good 6 weeks or so to fully heal and recover: be gentle on yourself. There will be good days and not so good days but in a few weeks you’ll start to feel more like yourself. You’re 4 days out it’s impossible to be failing yet. Unless you’re downing bottles of soda and consuming burgers and fries, cake and ice cream. Focus on your plan and your surgeon’s instructions for this week only. Next week look at what you need to do for your second week and so on. It can be information overload so work so forgive yourself if you misunderstand or miss something. Oh, & don’t be surprised if you can’t meet your fluid and protein goals to begin. As long as you’re making an effort you’ll get there eventually. We’ve all been where you are at some stage and to varying degrees. If you worry about what you’re doing, check in with your team or post here. Guarantee others here will have had the same question or experience. It does get easier as each week passes.

Now for a boring food pxt after those drool worthy food pxts from @ms.sss & @Lilia_90. Made zucchini fritters yesterday. Recipe said serves 2 as a light lunch. I’ll get three meals from the seven I made. Ha! As usual I started with a recipe (actually 2 different recipes this time) and then made up my own out of what was in my fridge and freezer. Peas, corn, chives, a little cumin, garlic & Parmesan with the zucchini. Forgot to add the celery I also had.

I’d ask her. Just start by telling her you like her leggings and ask if she finds them comfortable because yours are annoying you at the moment. Then ask what brand they are. Most women are happy to share especially after a compliment. I know I am. 😁 You may find a few others join the conversation and you might get a few ideas and style options.

Sometimes if you can’t see something you don’t think it’s there but there are sutures and staples inside you & you will be swollen internally. You will heal you just need the time to do it and that is the purpose of the staged return to eating solid foods is for: to slowly get your tummy used to digesting denser and denser food while it is recovering until it is fully healed and you can tolerate ‘normal’ solid foods. And your stall will break. They always do. It will take time (1-3 weeks usually). A stall is your body thinking what the hell is going on and taking time to work out what’s happening and understanding your new needs. It’s been through a lot with the surgery and now the recovery and restricted diet. Your poor body is stressed much like you are emotionally at the moment. Stick to your plan. You only need to go back a stage during this time if your body is struggling to tolerate and digest the slightly denser food at each new stage. Remember back to what happened with your initial surgery. As I said this recovery will be similar.